Non-Profits are often under pressure to deliver results quickly. They must balance competing demands while still maintaining high-quality standards. This requires a lot of coordination, especially when it comes to managing multiple projects simultaneously. They also face many challenges, including limited resources, lack of technical expertise, and difficulty communicating across organizational boundaries.
All these reasons make it difficult for Non-Profit organizations to manage projects effectively. Project management applications provide a solution for these issues. By providing a centralized location where teams can work together efficiently, project management software enables Non-Profits to streamline processes and increase efficiency.
There are several kinds of project managment software are out there for Non-Profit organizations, each designed to meet specific needs. Some focus on fundraising, some on grant writing, and others on managing volunteers. Each application offers its own advantages and disadvantages.
But before we dive into the benefits of project management tools for Non-Profit organizations, let’s first understand what project management is and what it can do for Non-Profits.
What Is Project Management?
Project management is a process used to plan, organize, execute, monitor, control, and closeout work activities. This includes managing people, time, costs, scope, quality, communications, risks, and deliverables. A project manager makes sure that a project is completed within the desired timeframe and budget. They ensure that everything goes according to plan and that the team stays focused while completing the project.
There are many types of project management tools available. Some include Microsoft Project, Asana, Basecamp, Jira, Pivotal Tracker, Slack, Trello, and others. The best kind of project management tools are easy-to-use and can help you with anything from creating schedules, tracking tasks, managing resources, and more.
Why Do Non-Profits Need Project Management Tools?
Non-Profit organizations often lack the resources to keep track of everything that happens within their organization. As a result, they don’t always know what tasks need to be completed next, how long it will take to complete those tasks, or whether any issues need to be addressed along the way. This leads to delays and missed deadlines, which can negatively impact the success of your Non-Profit.
Some of the things that project management tools can achieve for Non-Profits are listed below.
- Project management tools provide Non-Profits with a centralized location. Where they can store essential documents related to their projects. These tools allow them to easily access information such as budgets, timelines, and milestones, among others. In addition, they help them communicate efficiently with their stakeholders and volunteers.
- You can use project management tools to organize your workflows. You can also identify bottlenecks, and ensure that everyone involved knows exactly what they’re supposed to do. You can even use these tools to automate repetitive processes and streamline workflow.
- Project management tools can make your life easier. For example, if you already have a team of people working on different projects, you’ll be able to assign tasks to individuals based on their skillset and experience. You can also set up automated reminders and alerts so that you never miss a deadline again.
- You will be able to save money by avoiding unnecessary expenses. When you invest in project management tools, you won’t need to hire additional employees just to handle administrative duties. Instead, your organization can focus on running your programs and activities.
Top 5 Benefits of Project Management Tools for Non-Profit Organizations
Project management tools make it easier for Non-Profits to communicate with each other about projects. Project management software reduces the chances of project failure because it provides a central place for everyone involved in the process to collaborate. Other benefits include a quick turnaround rate and improved efficiency.
Let’s look at five benefits of project management software for Non-Profits:
1. Improved Communication
The ability to easily track progress and communicate changes in real-time can help ensure that projects meet deadlines and achieve success. Project management software allows Non-Profits to send messages to stakeholders, update status reports, and instantly share documents.
For example, Non-Profits can use project management software to keep board members up to date on the status of fundraising campaigns.
2. Increased Efficiency
Project management software can help Non-Profits streamline workflow and eliminate redundancies when appropriately used. For instance, project management software can automate repetitive tasks such as updating financial statements.
In addition, project managers can assign specific roles to different team members based on their skills and experience. This improves collaboration and increases productivity.
3. Reduced Costs
When you choose to outsource certain aspects of your business, you’re likely to see an immediate return on investment. The same is true for project management software. Because most project management solutions are cloud-based, they require little maintenance or training. As a result, you don’t have to pay staff to maintain them.
4. Better Coordination
Project management software helps Non-Profits coordinate efforts more efficiently. For example, it’s easy to create milestones and set due dates for various stages of a project. You can also set individual goals for each member of a team. This makes it possible for team members to stay focused on achieving their own objectives.
5. Higher Quality
Project management software can improve quality by helping teams identify problems early. For example, if a program manager notices that one of their team members isn’t meeting expectations, they can take action immediately.
Top 5 Project Management Tools For Non-Profits
Project management tools are essential for managing Non-Profit projects across teams, departments, and locations. But it’s often hard to find one tool that works well for every type of Non-Profit organization.
So here are five tools you might want to consider:
1. Jira
Jira is a powerful project management tool that helps teams plan, track, and monitor projects. Jira offers features such as issue tracking, task management, milestones, reporting, and version control.
2. Asana
Asana is another popular project management tool used by Non-Profit organizations. It provides a simple interface and intuitive workflow that make it easy to manage tasks. For example, you can use Asana to organize work into individual projects, assign tasks to different team members, track progress, and set due dates.
3. Trello
Trello is a free project management application that allows you to easily create boards, lists, cards, checklists, and comments. It integrates with Gmail, Slack, Dropbox, Salesforce, GitHub, and Box, making it easy to access files and information from anywhere.
4. ClickUp
It’s a cloud-based platform designed specifically for non-profit organizations. With ClickUp, you can create tasks, track progress, assign work, set deadlines, and communicate with team members. You can even share files directly from Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Amazon S3.
5. Monday
It is another tool that allows teams to easily organize their workflow. Teams can quickly add new items, comment on existing ones, and view reports. Team members can access the same item from any device, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.
There are many great project management tools out there. We hope we’ve helped you choose one that works best for your Non-Profit.
Is Project Management for Non-Profits Worth It?
Yes, project management for Non-Profits is totally worth it! It’s a great way to organize your team and keep them motivated. Project management is also essential if you want to be successful at fundraising.
A well-organized Non-Profit has a better chance of getting funding from foundations and other donors. Project management helps organizations focus on what they do best and makes them more efficient. It also increases productivity and reduces your team’s manual duties, improving the overall morale of your Non-Profit organization.